July 21st has been set aside by PADI for International Women's Dive Day. We decided to take advantage of this opportunity by running a special fun dive. 12 ladies came out and celebrated with us - our fun dive consisted of underwater poker chip hunts, fish decorated cupcakes, commemorative shirts, prizes and more.

Dive Masters: Nick Haglin and Kersten Rieland

Photo Credit: Nick Haglin

May 2nd, 2017 Fun Dive

05/21/16 Fun Dive at Eternal Bliss

The water is warming up in the Cuyuna Mines and the vis. is continuing to be excellent. Eleven divers experienced water temps in the mid 50's and vis as good as 40 feet on our Saturday fun dive to Eternal Bliss. Most of the sites attractions (Marissa the Mermaid; Sparky; The Diver Bar; etc.) were visited and said to be in good condition. No one visited Jason though, so we are not sure of his status.

Dive Master: Jeff Adams

Photo: Todd Matthies

05/19/16 Fun Dive at Treehugger

Wishing to cash in on the good visibility, 15 divers journeyed to Treehugger for a fun dive on Thursday night. Fun was had by al. Afterwards, most stopped off at our after dive bar The Last Turn Saloon, for a diving "mensa" meeting and to wish our long time Dive Master - Tim Gack, a happy birthday.

Dive Master: Bill Lacroix

05/14/16 Fun Dive at Diamond Cove

Hoping for the same great visibility enjoyed on the week night fun dive at Eagle Beach, six divers headed to Diamond Cove on Hopkins in the Crosby Mines. Some of the divers headed north to check out the shafts and were greeted with the typical visibility in that area (10-15 ft. and a black layer at 70 ft). Other divers headed along the wall to the south and had 50+ feet of vis. between the depths of 20 and 70 ft.

Dive Master: Tim GackPhoto Credit: Todd Matthies

05/11/16 Fun Dive at Eagle Beach

A blustery day turned nice just as the divers arrived at Eagle Beach on Hopkins Mine. Six divers endured chilly water temperatures for the reward of - fantastic visibility (50 ft. + between 20 - 60 ft). In the Southwest corner of the mine, divers reported seeing a previously unknown set of railroad tracks at a depth of 60 ft.

Dive Master: Josh DudaPhoto Credit: Todd Matthies

05/07/16 Fun Dive at Tree Hugger

Twelve divers joined in on MSD'S first Saturday fun dive of the season for a dive at Treehugger on Hopkins Mine. The visibility above 20 feet near the collapsed hut, was only 10-15 feet, but divers that followed the roadway to the southwest reported some of the best visibility ever at this site (50+ ft.).

Dive Master: Lynn Jannetta

05/03/16 Fun Dive at PADI #79

Tuesday, May 3rd was our kick off fun dive for the 2016 season! Eighteen divers were excited about seeing each other again and eating the fun dive food! The visibility was pretty poor from the surface to 20 feet. It got better between 20 and 60 ft., with divers guessing that is was up to 25 ft. in certain areas. Topside the weather was clear but a little cool with a strong west wind.

Dive Master: Josh MarcumPhoto Credit: Todd Matthies

9/16/15 Fun Dive at Sand Chute Gultch

Eighteen fun divers enjoyed a warm, late-summer evening with a dive at Sand Chute Gultch on Mahnomen 2 in the Crosby Mines. Most divers went around the point to the southwest and checked out the pump pipes with many commenting on the incredibly large walleye that was shadowing them. Other went to the northeast along the wall and observed the tile-smooth section of wall and what may be a new vehicle chassie sitting at a depth of 70 ft.

The thermocline is now at 30 ft with surface temp. at 68°. Visibility in Mahnomen 2 was only around 20 ft. - and a little worse between 30 and 60 feet, while it cleared up a bit more at 70.

Reminder: There are only two more weeknight fun dives for the year (although the saturday fun dives will continue through October).

8/12/15 Fun Dive at Gilligan's Plunge

Possibly because of a less than perfect weather forecast, we had a smaller group of only 12 divers for Wednesday's Fun Dive. Everyone stuffed themselves into one fully-loaded van and just two other vehicles, thus allowing us a rare August visit to the somewhat cramped, vehicle-restrictive Guilligan's Plunge on Huntington in the Crosby Mines. As always, most divers headed deep to the Ford Ranger pick-up and/or along the 120 ft. sheer wall, finishing up in the shallows in order to check on the boat S.S. Minnow in 25 feet. With storm clouds threatening, the group finished up their dives and the bar-b-que, and were able to get back to the dive shop just before the heavy rain descended.

Dive Masters: Jill Herberg & Lynn Jannetta

Photo Credit: Mark Persons

8/8/15 Fun Dive at Conneticut Two Bit

On Saturday 18 divers enjoyed the sunshine with a BBQ after the fun dive in Huntington mine. The thermocline was at 22 ft and very easy to not only feel, but see the milky layer! Surface temp. down to the depth of the thermocline the water was 72°. Some went to the left of the entry and exit point and found the railroad tracks at 15ft. A lot of fish were spying on the divers while trying to hide in the underwater forest of trees.

Dive Master: Tim Gack & Jeff AdamsPhoto Credit: Kersten Rieland

8/6/15 Fun Dive at Stairway to Hell

The rainy weather didn't ruin the plans of four divers who participated in fun dive on Thursday evening in Alstead mine. The divers found the car near the entry and later followed the stairway down until they arrived at the skull on the bottom step. The rain held off for our BBQ after the dive which was great but the one thing that they did have to battle were the mosquitos.

Dive Master: Josh Marcum

Photo Credit: Kersten Rieland

8/04/15 Fun Dive at Portsmouth

A beautiful evening greeted 18 divers as they ventured to Portsmouth Mine Public Access, in the Crosby Mines, for a fun dive. The visibility of 20 ft. was pretty good for Portsmouth. Divers chose to go multiple different directions; a few made it past the campground beach in search of the concrete culvert at 30 ft.; some went to go see the snowmobile; the two building foundations in the north bay were explored as well as the mini wall right out in front of the entry point. Two divers went deep and said the visibility between 70 and 90 feet was poor but improved at 100 ft., although they commented that is was "night dive" dark.

Dive Masters: Josh Duda & Tim GackPhoto Credit: Todd Matthies

7/29/15 Fun Dive at Sand Chute Gultch

What better way to welcome back a couple old time diver friends (John and Cathy Olsen) than a fun dive at Sand Chute Gultch on Mahnomen II. Eighteen divers thought the same thing! The thermocline has dropped a few feet and is sitting at 23ft. Visibility was about 20ft to the thermocline and again from 40 to 70 ft.

Dive Masters: Bill Lacroix & Lynn Jannetta

Photo Credit: Cathy Olson

07/18/15 Fun Dive at South Alstead

Saturday was a great day to get outside and enjoy the summer temperatures! Just as a reminder, MSD fun dives are not just for divers...we had 8 people who joined us for a snorkeling tour led by Todd and Kelly! The photo to the right shows our two dive masters that morning, proudly displaying appropriate coke cans. Bill who was topside held the "grillmaster" can, and Jeff who was in the water held the "sidekick" can.

Dive Masters: Bill Lacroix & Jeff AdamsPhoto Credit: Todd Matthies

07/09/15 Fun Dive at Eternal Bliss

What a great evening for a dive in the Louise Mine - no bugs! Everyone had a great dive, some divers went to the left and saw Marissa the Mermaid, Sparky, and Jason. Some went to the right at met their skeleton friend at the bar 20 ft down. Once the divers were back and enjoying the great food that dive master Billy had cooked up, Paula had to run off and try to get a snap shot of two big beavers that decided to venture onto the roadway.

Dive Master: Bill Lacroix

Photo Credit: Todd Matthies

07/02/15 Fun Dive at South Alstead

Nick and Brynn (pictured to the left) were two of the twenty divers that started their fourth of July weekend off the right way - with a MSD fun dive of course!

Dive Master: Tim Gack & Jill HerbergPhoto Credit: Kersten Rieland

06/27/15 Fun Dive at Wombad Point

Seven divers enjoyed a beautiful day at Wombad Point located between Mahnomen 1 and 2 mines. Six of those enjoyed a nice dive (one, who wont be mentioned, forgot his dry suit underwear and accompanied Jeff topside). Dive conditions remained the same as earlier in the week with the first thermocline dropping a little bit, to around 25 feet. Some kayakers happened upon the divers bubbles, and were a little perplexed as to their origin. One of them suspected they were from carp. Another did his best to poke the "carp" with his paddle - but to no avail as the carp (divers) were below 20 feet.

Dive Master: Jeff Adams

Photo Credit: Todd Matthies

06/24/15 Fun Dive at Sleepy Hollow

Eighteen divers enjoyed the beautiful evening with an MSD fun dive. Many either did a surface swim or swam a few feet under the surface to get across the narrrows of the mine pit separating the two bays and started their dive off to the right on the south side. The visibility above the thermocline at 23ft was phenomenal - we are talking 30-40 ft! The visibility dropped quit a bit below the thermocline so a lot of divers stayed shallow with the great visibility! Some went and saw the beaver cuttings where a bunch of fish were hanging out. Their was also a golfball that kept moving around; some saw it in the silt, others saw it up on a rock and others saw it in a tree! Carl and Vicki Unger also completed their 100th dive - and no, we couldn't convince them to go down to 100 ft.

Dive Master: Tim GackPhoto Credit: Kersten Rieland

06/20/15 Fun Dive at Diamond Cove

Seven divers were excited to see the rain quit and sun come out for their dive at Diamond Cove in Hopkins Mine. The surface temp down to the depth of 15' was 70°. The visibility dropped from 30ft at 15 ft down to 15ft to the depth of 40 ft. from 40 ft to the depth of 80 ft the visibility jumped right back up to 40 ft!

Dive Master: Josh DudaPhoto Credit: Todd Matthies

06/16/15 Fun Dive at Sleepy Hollow

6 divers made the best of their rainy Tuesday night by enjoying good company with their MSD dive buddies. The visibility was great down to the depth of 15 ft. it was 30-40 ft! From 15 ft to the depth of 40ft it was kinda murky and cleared up again below 40 ft. On Tuesday there was a Hondurain native that was smiling ear to ear through out his fun dive experience.

Dive Master: Bill Lacroix

06/13/15 Fund Dive at Eternal Bliss

On Saturday the fun dive was at Eternal Bliss along with the MSD PADI Rescue course. The visibility was about 15 ft. The thermocline was about 20 ft. A few of the fun divers had fun watching some of the rescue dive scenarios as they were practicing how to approach a panicked diver at the surface. The road has been repaired as far as not having to drive through the huge water puddle right before you get to Eternal Bliss. A colvert was put in and fill was brought in!

Dive Master: Tim Gack

06/11/15 Fun Dive at Conneticut Two Bit

Eleven divers enjoyed a Thursday night fun dive at Connecticut Two Bit on Huntington Mine Pit. Some divers went to the left of the entry point and found a gigantic northern in the shallows and continued down the roadway to 20 ft and looked at the foosball table. Others went to the right of the entry point looking at some trees until reaching the depth of 40 ft. where the vertical wall starts. Surface temp was 55° at the depth of 46 ft the temp was 46°. Visibility was pretty consistent at 20 - 30 ft.

Dive Master: Jill HerbergPhoto Credit: Kersten Rieland

06/06/15 Fun Dive at Tree Hugger

Twelve divers enjoyed a fun dive on Saturday at Tree Hugger in the Hopkins Mine. Some divers went for a swim through the trees to the left of the entry, others checked out the collapsed building and swung to the right over the submerged road, and then followed the slope to the beaver cuttings half way to Diamond Cove. Surface temp was 60° Visibility 20 ft Thermocline 25ft. Below thermocline the water temp was 42°Photo Credit: Jeff AdamsDive Master: Jeff Adams

6/3/15 Fun Dive at Feigh

The rain and thunder that rolled through central MN on Wednesday didn't put a stop to the MSD Fun Dive. Surface temp. to the depth of 20 ft was 54°. Vis was 25 ft down to the thermocline. Between 20-40 ft it was a little less. Down at the depth of 80 ft the vis was 40+ feet with a water temp of 41°. "It was the best vis I have seen this year. Tons of fish on the beaver cut to the right of the entry." said Cory Hines.

Dive Master: Tim GackPhoto Credit: Tim Gack

5/30/15 Fun Dive at Eternal Bliss

Many people were fond the that radiant sunshine that fell over the Cuyuna pits on Saturday. There is no better way of enjoying the sun like a good ol' MSD fun dive was the thought of ten divers. The vis was only 10-15ft to the depth of 40ft, below 40ft it was about 25ft, they made the best of what they had. Once at 60 ft. you had good vis down to the depths of 90 ft. What makes up for the lousy vis? The water temp.! The water is warming up and it's in the low 50°s above the thermocline.

Dive Master: Tim GackPhoto Credit: Tim Gack

5/26/15 Fun Dive at Sand Chute

The rain held off for the eleven divers that came together for an always entertaining MSD Fun Dive. The multiple dive groups chose to seek out different attractions, a few went to the depth of 80-85 ft to look at a shaft (vis. was NOTHING to talk about) a few went on a continuing quest for a missing item, and a few went to 65 ft and paid Gorls a visit in his coffin. After the dive, everyone enjoyed Josh's world famous "Duda Burgers." The thermocline is sitting at 27 or 28 ft. The surface temp to the thermocline was 55°. At the depth of 65ft the water temp was 46°. Vis from the surface to the thermocline was 30 ft. at 65ft it was 10ft and only continued to get worse as you got deeper.

Dive Master: Josh DudaPhoto Credit: Todd Matthies

5/23/15 Fun Dive at Conneticut Two Bit

Fourteen divers went on a journey from the Brainerd MSD location to Huntington, only to be blown away by the vis! The vis that this group came upon was 40ft., which just happens to be some of the best so far this fun dive season. Surface temp. to the depth of 27ft was 55° below that it dropped to 45°. What a great Memorial weekend dive! Thanks to all of those who are serving or who have served our country!

Dive Master: Josh DudaPhoto Credit: Todd Matthies

5/21/15 Fun Dive at Arco Point

Six MSD divers took full advantage of the great evening that mother nature finally gave us. Topside was a wonderful 68° and sunny. The best part that almost everyone agreed on was that there were no mosquitoes! Some would have prefered that the weather was even warmer, we try to please everyone but that doesn't always happen unfortunately (mosquitoes and temperature is out of our control) The surface temp down to the depth of 30 ft was 52° the vis was about 15ft. At 30ft is where the thermocline was sitting and the vis got a little worse. Diving off to the right of the entry point there are some neat trees you can swim through.

Dive Master: Adam JohnsonPhoto Credit: Kersten Rieland

5/16/15 Fun Dive at Gilligan's Plunge

Here at MSD we do what we can for our divers, we went back to Gilligan's Plunge just because the vis was favorable on Wednesday. The temperature from the surface to a depth of 20 ft was 50°. Down at 115 ft., the water temp was 40°. They had great vis (40 ft) from the surface to 60 ft, below that, the vis has gained about 10 ft since Wednesday. Below 60 ft the vis is now 20 - 25 ft.

Dive Master: Jeff Adams

Photo Credit: Jeff Adams

5/13/15 Fun Dive at Gilligan's Plunge

Cold and rainy weather doesn't stop MSD! The beauty of diving is that it's never rained out - divers get wet regardless. That is exactly what five fun divers did last night while Bill manned the grill topside. The divers split into two groups, and both eventually worked their way down to look at the Ford Ranger pick-up at 115 ft. The temperature from the surface to a depth of 20 ft was 50°. Down at 115 ft., the water temp was 39°. They had great vis (35 - 40 ft) from the surface to 60 ft., below that, the vis dropped to 10 - 15 ft.

Dive Master: Bill LacroixPhoto Credit: Todd Matthies

5/09/15 Fun Dive at Eagle Beach

Six divers enjoyed their sunny Saturday with an MSD Fun Dive. The surface temp was again in the low 50's. Some news that you would be glad to hear is that the thermocline is dropping! The thermocline is sitting at 15 - 20 feet. On another positive note, we had a vis. range of 25 ft. The Minnesota state bird made some appearances also today, they found us very interesting and kept coming back. Dive Master:Jill HerbergPhoto Credit: Todd Matthies

5/5/15 Fun Dive at Seaward

Six people joined us for a great Tuesday fun dive. The temp at the surface was in the low 50's with the thermocline sitting at 10 feet. Below the thermocline the temp is in the low 40's. Let's talk vis: From the surface to 40 ft you are looking at roughly 15 ft of vis., below 40 ft down to 60 ft the vis dropped to 5-10 ft, 60 ft and below we gained our 20 ft range of visibility. A few of the divers went and looked at the railroad tracks at a depth of 100 ft. Pictured is Tim Gack and Paula Persons getting ready for what they expect to be another tremendous dive in the Cuyuna Mines.Dive Master: Bill LacroixPhoto Credit: Todd Matthies

Kicking off the 2015 Fun Dive Season at Shangri-la

What magnificent weather we had to kick off the 2015 Fun Dive season! 15 divers took advantage of the weather and buddied up to go diving and savored the unforgettable fun dive food. Surface temp. 52° Vis. was right around the 10' mark. Down at 20' the water temp. was 45°

"Brats were great" - Tom AllinderVickie Unger got to try out her new orange X-Shot fins (Pictured) - She was beyond pleased to say the least...don't believe me, ask her yourself!

A few people couldn't wait to get back in the water and completed a second dive.Photo Credit: Todd Matthies